The Meaning Behind the Name "Rio Queens"

FOREWORD BY BROOKE ENGLAND

More than a name, "Rio Queens" is an ode to our heritage.

“If you are good to these cattle, they will be good to you,” a motto J.A. “Alton” Clifford of Mercedes, Texas lived by. Mr. Clifford was not only one of the most prominent Red Brahman Breeders of the 1970s, but also a beloved mentor to my father-in-law, Michael England. At just 17 years old, Mike managed the Clifford Ranch cow herd, working alongside Alton’s son Jimmy, and taking on a responsibility of caring for an operation whose production began in 1945.

Brahman enthusiasts will likely remember the Clifford family from “The Spirit of ‘46” Saleshosted annually at Clifford Ranch. Alongside fellow breeders Eligio Garcia, Inc.; Estaban Garcia Jr. Ranch; La India Ranch; and Guerra Bros., known today as La Muñeca Cattle Company, the consignors brought together close to 100 head of cattle each year, making “The Spirit of ‘46” Sale one of the largest and most historic Brahman cattle sales to date. Rooted in Brahman camaraderie, “The Spirit of ‘46” Sales were always geared toward fellowship, and community over competition, with my in-laws recalling many fond memories of attending the sales while they were dating more than 40 years ago.

Sadly, Clifford Ranch dispersed in the early 1980s, shortly after Mr. Clifford’s passing. At the time, Mike and my mother-in-law, Crickett, were newlyweds in their 20s and were faced with a crossroads — to go out and raise cattle on their own, or leave that life behind. This sudden life change, and a desire to build a legacy for their future sons, Benton and Cole, launched the foundation for England Cattle Company, LLC as we know it, today.

During one of my very first visits to the ranch when my now-husband, Benton, and I were dating, Mike pulled out one of the first “The Spirit of ‘46” Sale catalogs and explained to me the history between those pages. At that point, it quickly became clear to me that his time at Clifford Ranch greatly impacted his decision to start his own herd of registered Brahmans.

In flipping through Mr. Clifford’s old sale catalogs, a theme is consistent on every consignment — “Rio Red Queen” and “Rio Red King” — names given to cows and bulls produced on the Clifford Ranch. When it came time for Mike and Benton to establish a naming system for our own replacement females and herd sires, it only felt natural to honor the legacy of Mr. Clifford by including “Rio Queen” and “Rio King” in their name.

The first cow to carry the name, Ms ECC Rio Queen 454 (S), set the bar high for hersuccessors. Purchased as a show heifer by John Paul Rodriguez, 454 won many championship titles, including Reserve Senior Champion at the San Antonio Junior Show in 2016. Fast forward, and “ECC Rio Queens” continue to excel in the breed, today. Most recently, ECC Polled Rio Queen 483/0 (P), purchased by Holley Cattle Company in our 2021 spring sale, was named Reserve Intermediate Champion Grey Brahman Female at the Rio Grande Valley Livestock Show earlier this year.

Show ring success aside, an England Cattle Co. “Rio Queen” is more valuable to us based on her performance and merits in the pasture. To date, we have retained more than 40 females that carry the name based on their superior phenotype and genotype. These females are backed by a solid foundation of breeding practices passed down from Mr. Clifford to my father-in-law, to my husband, and have helped us achieve recognition as the largest breeder of Polled Brahman Cattle in the USA, since 2017.

On behalf of my family, we invite you to view the offering included in these pages — a true representation of our heritage, and a culmination of our most proven genetics. We sincerely appreciate your interest in our breeding program, and we look forward to seeing you online, Sept. 28-29, on Premier Livestock Auctions.